Senator John Hoeven will participate in the christening ceremony for the USS North Dakota, a Virginia-class nuclear submarine named for the state and designed to meet the demands of the 21st Century. The ceremony, which marks the completion of the shipbuilding and formalizes its name, will take place on Saturday, November 2, beginning at 9:30 CT in Groton, Conn. The date has added significance because it marks the 124th anniversary of North Dakota’s statehood.

When he was governor, the senator worked collaboratively to name a modern, high-tech naval vessel for the state of North Dakota. In the summer of 2008, he and the state’s congressional delegation visited then-Secretary of the Navy Don Winter in Washington to advance the effort. An earlier USS North Dakota, a battleship, was decommissioned by the Navy in 1923 and subsequently used as a “target ship.” Hearing that story, Secretary Winter was very receptive to the idea of a new, modern USS North Dakota, and a few weeks after the visit the secretary made it official.

“Christening the USS North Dakota will mark a great milestone for North Dakota and a great honor for all North Dakota service members,” Hoeven said. “It will be a tangible symbol of our state’s love of country and commitment to serve and defend it.”

The USS North Dakota incorporates the latest technological advancements, including sophisticated surveillance, reconnaissance, special operations and anti-submarine capabilities. It has a built-in reactor plant that will fuel the submarine throughout the duration of its estimated 33-year service life expectancy.